Tooth brush attachment



Jan. 1-7, 1939.

Fv A. HOLMES TOOTH BRUSH ATTACHMENT Filed June 15, 1958 4 In ventor Aiiorneys Patented Jan. 17, 1939 TOOTH BRUSH ATTACHMENT Paul A. Holmes, Muskogee, kla., assignor of one-half to Carl J. H. Grunwald, Muskogee,

Okla.

Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,506

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a tooth brush attachment, and has for the primary object the provision of an efficient and inexpensive device which may be easily and quickly adapted to a conventional type of tooth brush to provide thereon a gum massaging medium which may be used for massaging the gums with no brushing action on the teeth or may be actuated so as to massage the gums at the same time with the brushing of the teeth with the tooth brush.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understandingof my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a con ventional type of tooth brush equipped with an attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the attachment on the tooth brush.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates in entirety a conventional type of tooth brush consisting of a brush head 6 carrying the tufts of bristles l and connected to a handle 8 by a. shank 9. The brush head 6, shank 9 and handle B-are of integral construction, the width of the shank 9 being slightly less than the width of the handle 8 and the head 6.

The present invention is primarily for massaging gums to be used in conjunction with a tooth brush of the construction described which is well known commercially and consists of an elongated loop-shaped frame I. The ends of the frame converge and are formed integrally with a shank ll of a handle I2. The handle l2, shank II and frame ID are constructed from a single length of material, preferably of round stock ifi cross section. The shank II is slightly offset and has formed thereon resilient gripping fingers l3 adapted to grip opposite sides of the shank 9 of the tooth brush 5 positioning the frame l0 so as to surround the tufts of bristles and to permit the tufts of bristles to move freely through the frame. A cushion cover I4 is mounted on the frame l0 constructed of rubber or any other material suitable for the purpose and is preferably made from tubular stock. The cover I4 cooperates with the frame in forming a massaging medium. The gripping fingers 13 support the frame or the massaging medium in close proximity to the brush head 6 so that the tufts of bristles 1 project through the frame a distance sufiicient to permit brushing of the teeth with the tufts of bristles without the cover coming in contact either with the teeth or the gums. However, by moving the handle l2 towards the handle of the tooth brush the frame In carrying the cover l4 acting as a massaging medium is positioned away from the brush head a distance to bring the free ends of the tufts of bristles well within the frame so that the cover I4 can be brought directly in engagement with the gums and when moved over the gums with a selected pressure on said gums the latter will be massaged to stimulate and maintain the gums in a healthy condition. By moving the handle l2 a limited distance away from the-handle 8 of the tooth brush the frame I!) may be positioned adjacent the free ends of the tufts of bristles so that the bristles may be brought into contact with the teeth for the cleaning of the latter, at the same time with the bringing of the cover M in engagement with the gums, so that the messaging of the gums can take place the same time as' the brushing of the teeth. The fingers l3 will allow a limited pivotal movement of the handle I2 on the tooth brush sufficient to adjust the frame l0 into the desired positions relative to the tufts of bristles on the brush head 6 of the tooth brush.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that an attachment has been provided which can be cheaply manufactured, is compact, durable and may be readily adapted to any standard type of tooth brush for providing thereon a massaging medium for the gums which can be used by itself on the tooth brush to massage the gums or may be readily positioned on the tooth brush so that massaging of the gums takes place at the same time as the brushing of the teeth with the bristles of the tooth brush.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawing, will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, what I claim 1. A toothbrush attachment comprising an elongated frame adapted to be positioned on a toothbrush with the bristles of the latter ex: tending therethrough, means on said frame to 'provide a gum massaging medium, a handle formed on one end'of the frame and adapted to parallel a handle of the toothbrush, and means carried by the first-named handle and adapted to connect the latter onto the second-named han- V dle for pivotal movement.

2. A tooth brush attachment Comprising a frame adapted to be positioned over tufts of bristles on a tooth brush, means on said frame to provide a gum massaging medium, a combined handle and shank formed on said framewith the handle adapted to parallel a handle of the tooth brush, and a flexible clamp carried by the shank and adapted to grip the handle of the 'a combined handle and shank formed integral with said frame and having 'an offset in the shank, a resilient clip formed on the shank adapted to engage a handle of the tooth brush for mounting the'frame for a limited pivotal movement to permit the frame to be adjusted towards and from the free ends of the tufts of bristles, and a yieldable massaging medium covering said frame. e a

' PAUL A. HOLMES. 

